One way you can up your writing game is to challenge yourself to look for and eliminate the vast majority of “practical action” sentences in your prose. Kim gives a few great concrete examples from published books to illustrate her lesson.
Category: Writing Tips
You’ll often hear writers talking about starting a story in medias res. If this phrase is unfamiliar to you, Kim offers a brief explanation of what it means with helpful examples from popular published literature.
As writers, use this curiosity as a service to your craft and try not to let it become too distracting. Your editor is there to serve your craft as well, even if it takes them to unexpected places.
As a writing coach, Kim sees a ton of dialogue. if you want to improve your dialogue, she suggests you revise with these four S’s in mind: Significant, Shorter, Smarter, and Sharper.
Bringing real emotions into her writing is a skill Krista’s aspired to have longer than she’s known why it was important to her. Read her guide of “do’s” and “don’t’s” for how to access genuine emotions when writing.
Trying to figure out if your story should be in present or past tense? The easiest way to examine your choices is to look at the advantages and disadvantages of each so you can make a more informed decision rather than just relying on your gut.
When I was 19, I started writing my first novel. I’d written fan fiction as a young teen, but my original works were rarely longer ….
Revising after that initial dump of creativity is hard, but a few techniques exist as a starting point when facing the seemingly insurmountable task of turning — as Jessica puts it — your beloved dumpster fire into the brilliant gem it’s destined to become.